My trans guy says I can go with the Red Alto clutches or the Green Kevlar clutches. He recommended going with the Kevlar clutches and said they are $2.00 per clutch cheaper but from what I have read on the internet this seems to be a toss up question. I don't want to go cheap on the rebuild if it's only $2 per clutch difference in price. So which one would you use and why? Thanks in advance.
Like you've already seen, mixed reviews on both. I'm convinced it doesn't really matter compared to how the rest of the transmission is built. I've read happy customers of both type with a 1,000+HP going through the trans. Pick one, then be happy.
Friend of mine in our off road club rebuilt his TH350 with kevlar clutches so it would hold up. He could not find a TH400 with the NP-205transfer so he stuck with his TH350. The tranny held up great for yrs with no issue until he broke the case in half. Then all he did was gut his broken tranny and put everything in another case, he is still running the kevlar clutches. This is a truck with a mild 454 turning 48" tires on steep upgrades and side hills where it gets hot from lack of oil, a lot of stress and just plain abuse.
The trans is a th400 and going into the 70 skylark below. The goal is mid to high 11s. Motor should be in the 530-540 hp range till i get some really good flowing aluminum heads. Scotty Brown solid cam for which he recommended A converter thatl will be 3500-3800. and 4.10 gears The car will be mostly street driven but go to the track several times a year. But the way I drive it may as well be on the track.Its pretty normal for me to run the rpms up on the street.
Are you going to increase the clutch pack counts with the alto HP kits, or just run the standard number?. If just running the standard number, then either clutch will be fine, I would lean toward the green for that application. For what you have now, that would be fine, I would prefer an Alto power pack in the direct clutch for your future motor tho, and a 4 clutch intermediate could would not be a bad thing either. JW
Bruce http://www.altousa.com/downloads/tech-drawings/01-190-BM338.pdf If your not ordering a Trans go 400 1-2 kit, then get the the Alto standard duty kit, plus one more .076 steel, since our vintage 400's never came with the wave plate in the intermediate. The reason to get the kit is that you get the HD snap ring, which is listed by everybody, but hardly anyone ever actually has it. The couple times I was doing a Level 1 trans build, and looked for just the HD intermediate snap ring, it was hard to find. That ring comes with the Trans go Kit, and is a good upgrade on any performance TH 400. For a friction upgrade, the Borg-Warner Green High Energy frictions can be used, instead of the smooth tan ones. The HP kit has the red clutches, and nitrited steels, with cooling holes.. Use that kit in race transmissions. JW
Jim, Not really sure about adding clutches and such. I will talk to my trans guy about that for sure. I would like to have this built once and be done. I would rather spend a little more now and know it will hold up to anything the road. Thanks,
I put Alto reds and Kolene Steels in my ST300, and increased the clutch pack to 8 - best upgrade I ever did. Totally worth the effort and money..
Ditto on the Alto Reds and Kolene Steels. That's what will be going in both my ST400 sometime soon and ST300 when I rebuild it for restoration.
red, blue, clutches i have seen , but not green. For the most part the fancy colored ones hit your wallet. Koloene coated steels with the holes in them and Borg Warner frictions will work just as good or better when and most importantly set up correctly. Keep in mind that thinner steels dont take the heat as well as thicker ones.
My Alto Red Eagle Master Rebuild kit (Alto# 031901HPPWR) arrived yesterday! We have some leftover clutches and steels from rebuilding the transmission in the Race Car, so I didn't pick up anymore. Got all my other stuff earlier in the week including a little baggy of TORLON BALLS!!!
I believe those red clutches come with a burnishing procedure. I love Gil younger and his quotes. " if you dont have any sand paper to scuff your steals you can give them a few back and forths on your shop floor." Thats not related to burnishing.
